The Senior Capstone experience allows students to explore substantive areas of scholarship and creative works within their major. Students are given the opportunity to create knowledge within the context of the ideas, perspectives, and research of others in the discipline. The Capstone further provides students the opportunity to integrate and compare knowledge gained from their major with that which was learned in the domain area and core courses of the Liberal Studies Program. In this culminating experience, students create, under the mentorship of a faculty member, a final project of their own design.
Courses
Below please find examples of courses previously offered for Capstone credit. For information on current offerings, please consult Campus Connection.
African and Black Diaspora Studies
American Studies
Animation
Art, Media and Design
Biology
Chemistry
Commerce
Communication
Computer Games Development
Computer Graphics and Animation
Computer Science
Digital Cinema
E-Commerce Technology
Economics
Education
English
Environmental Science
Geography
History
History of Art and Architecture
Honors Program
Information Assurance and Security Engineering Program
Information Systems
Information Technology
International Studies
Latin American and Latino Studies
Mathematics
Modern Languages
Network Technologies
Nursing
Philosophy
Physics
Political Science
Psychology
Public Policy Studies
Religious Studies
Sociology
Software Engineering
Telecommunications
Women's and Gender Studies
ABD 391
CAPSTONE
This senior seminar engages students in a synthesis of what they have learned through coursework. The capstone course will involve reading, writing, discussion, as well as the preparation by students of a substantive piece of work (e.g., a senior thesis, a research paper, or a creative work.)
AMS 301
SENIOR SEMINAR
The Senior Seminar is an integrative, course conducted primarily as a colloquium. Emphasis will be placed on discussion and independent research and writing.
Prerequisites:
AMS 211, AMS 213 and AMS 215 are a prerequisite for this class.ANI 395
ANIMATION PROJECT II
Continuation of ANI 394. This production-based course is the second half of a two-course sequence that provides the student with an Animation capstone experience. These courses connect the student's Animation coursework with their overall Liberal Studies coursework through three components: class lectures and discussions, independent analysis and reflection, and the creation of a significant animation project. Students will employ the knowledge they have learned and the skills they have acquired in all their Animation courses to date to produce a significant animation project. The course sequence is designed to be taken in two consecutive quarters. PREREQUISITE(S): ANI 394
ART 392
SENIOR STUDIO SEMINAR
An intensive capstone seminar of contemporary art theory and studio practice in the student's area of concentration. Required for graduation in Studio Art and in Media Arts. Materials Fee.
Prerequisites:
Senior standing and status as an Art, Media and Design major or Art Minor are a prerequisite for this class. Juniors may attend with instructor's consent.ART 393
SENIOR DESIGN SEMINAR
The goal of this capstone class are to research, discuss and critique contemporary design issues as the culmination of the liberal studies coursework with the emphasis on the concentration of art and design. Design methodology and analysis will be surveyed by examining key texts in the field. A different central question and/or project will organize the class each time it is offered. Each question and/or project will be geared towards grappling with communication to diverse audiences, contemporary historical and cultural trends that affect communication, and the use of digital technologies to communicate. This course aims to ensure a familiarity with the ethical, pragmatic, philosophical, theoretical and aesthetic issues that face designers as they enter the workforce and culture that will aid in their responsible participation in the field.
Prerequisites:
ART 227, ART 228, ART 260, ART 264, and ART 358 are a prerequisite for this class.BIO 395
BIOLOGY CAPSTONE SEMINAR
The aim of this course is to integrate current biological view(s) of humanity with the perspectives of the liberal studies curriculum. Students will develop and debate topics that demonstrate mastery of the biology core curriculum (cell biology, genetics, physiology and ecology) while touching on history, philosophy, ethics and the law.
CHE 330
SENIOR CAPSTONE IN THE PHYSICAL SCIENCES
Capstone in the Physical Sciences. A course for graduating chemistry and physics majors to integrate phyiscal science experience with non-scientific fields.
ICS 392
SENIOR SEMINAR
A variety of Senior Seminars is offered every term. Individual sections focus on selected content areas reflecting issues facing business in contemporary society. These seminars are designed to enable and encourage students to see the world differently, to reflect on those differences and to communicate, both orally and in writing, the results of that reflection.
Prerequisites:
Senior standing is a prerequisite for this class.CMN 396
CAPSTONE IN COMMUNICATION
Making a difference: Communication Senior Capstone. Exploration of student skills, knowledge and interests, as well as how these might have a concrete contribution to contemporary society.
Prerequisites:
Senior Standing is a prerequisite for this class.GAM 394
GAME DEVELOPMENT PROJECT I
Students work in teams to design and develop a videogame that demonstrates their mastery of game design and development. Additionally, students will reflect on ethical decision making and professional ethics in the game industry. This course and its continuation, GAM 395, must be taken consecutively. PREREQUISITE(S): GAM 374 (Senior standing)
GAM 395
GAME DEVELOPMENT PROJECT II
Continuation of GAM 394. PREREQUISITE(S): GAM 394
GPH 395
COMPUTER GRAPHICS SENIOR PROJECT
A group project involving analysis, design, creation, implementation and testing of a large project such as an animation, an interactive multimedia presentation or a video game. Portfolio creation and critique. Discussion of strategies for graduate school and the job market. PREREQUISITE(S): GPH 338 or GPH 372.
CSC 378
SOFTWARE PROJECTS FOR COMMUNITY CLIENTS
This is the first course in a two-quarter sequence (winter/spring) for CTI students that satisfies both the Senior Year Capstone requirement and the Junior Year Experiential Learning requirement. The second quarter will be a special section of CSC 399. You will earn four quarter hours of credit for each quarter for a total of eight quarter hours of credit. You must complete both quarters to receive any credit. We work with a community service organization, chosen with help of the Steans Center for Community-based Service Learning. As a community-based service learning course, students will have the opportunity to assess urban community needs in technology, and use problem-solving methods and strategies to make a substantial difference in an inner-city community group, usually by developing an application or a web site.
CSC 394
SOFTWARE PROJECTS
Students will be provided with experience in team design, implementation and testing of a large software project. PREREQUISTE(S): CSC 301 or CSC 383 or CSC 393 or IM 360
DC 398
DIGITAL CINEMA CAPSTONE
This course provides a Digital Cinema-specific capstone experience for the student. Students must have completed at least one of the three Topics in Production courses before they enroll in this course. The capstone course will connect the students' Digital Cinema course work with the University courses s/he has taken through three components: student-generated production packages, class/instructor discussions, and the actual creation/production of the student's proposal. The production piece is the primary focus of this course. PREREQUISITE(S): DC 303 OR DC 310 OR ANI 350
ECT 359
E-COMMERCE TECHNOLOGY SENIOR PROJECT
Students will build complex web information systems using both client-side and server-side technology. Project teams will apply web engineering methodology to produce the final project with deliverables including strategy and requirement statement, site information architecture, interface design,prototyping, testing, promotion and measurement, feasibility study, and final presentation of team project. PREREQUISITE(S): ECT355 AND IT215.
ECO 395
CAPSTONE SEMINAR IN ECONOMICS
A seminar in which students explore how the discipline of economics addresses issues from a different perspective than other disciplines within and beyond the social sciences. This course is the Liberal Studies Capstone Requirement for the LA&S Economics major and is restricted to LA&S economics majors with senior standing.
Prerequisites:
ECO 305, ECO 306 and status as an LAS Economics major with Senior standing is a prerequisite for this class.SEC 384
CAPSTONE IN SECONDARY EDUCATION
The senior capstone course is designed to help students integrate the central emphases of their liberal learning studies curriculum into their professional behavior. It will provide prospective elementary educators with opportunities to engage in activities requiring them to be relective, to consider value commitments, to use critical and creative thinking, and to examine their practice from a multicultural perspective as they discuss issues specific early childhood education. The course is grounded in the School of Education's framework for an Urban Professional Multicultural Educator, which also reflects the goals of the Liberal Studies program. COREQUISITE(S): SEC 390.
TCH 390
CAPSTONE: INTEGRATING EDUCATION & DISCIPLINARY FOUNDATIONS
This course is designed to help students conceptualize issues and opportunities in teaching their disciplinary content to diverse students and in different classroom contexts. Ten hours Level 2 field experiences required. In this course, students will analyze and reflect on how teaching in their disciplines is informed by diverse cultures of schooling and youth, including the influences of economic, social, cultural, political, gender, and religious factors on schooling, educational policy and opportunity. Students will use disciplinary content to critically and creatively reflect on the teaching of that content in secondary schools. Students will be introduced to issues and ways of presenting essential disciplinary content in ways that engage diverse learners, including learners who have not been served well by formal education. Students will also develop a theory of teaching that emphasizes the intersection of disciplinary content with multicultural perspectives.
ENG 390
SENIOR CAPSTONE SEMINAR
Senior Seminar In Literature: a capstone course. See schedule for current offerings. This course is not repeatable.
Prerequisites:
Senior status and advanced standing in English are prerequisites for this course.ENV 350
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ANALYSIS: CAPSTONE
This course examines basic core concepts of and current issues in environmental science drawing on perspectives of the liberal studies curriculum, including reflectiveness, value consciousness, critical and creative thinking, and a multicultural perspective. Senior standing in Environmental Science or Environmental Studies
GEO 300
GEOGRAPHICAL INQUIRY
Several perspectives on geographical questioning are presented in seminar format. Geographical researchers present their work with particular emphases on the relations between theoretical frameworks and methodological paradigms.
HST 397
HISTORY CAPSTONE SEMINAR
Open to seniors majoring in History. Others may take course with permission of instructor.
Prerequisites:
(HST 199 or HST 299), Senior standing and status as a History major or minor are a prerequisite for this class.HAA 399
SENIOR CAPSTONE: ART HISTORICAL THEORY & METHODOLOGY
An overview of theory and methods preparing advanced students for graduate work. The course addresses iconography, psychological theories, the image's relation to its documentation, feminist and social history and other currently debated issues.
Prerequisites:
Declared major in History of Art and Architecture and (senior status required or juniors with instructor permission)..HON 350
HONORS SENIOR SEMINAR
This course, which meets the capstone requirement for the Honors Program, fosters preparation for life-long learning. In a seminar setting, students explore a designated topic, develop related projects, and pursue work in an area defined by the Honors faculty member who designed the particular course. Seminars will be offered in broad interdisciplinary areas, allowing seniors to choose from diverse topics; please see the schedule for current offerings. Open only to students in the University Honors Program.
Prerequisites:
Membership in the University Honors Program is a prerequisite for this class.HON 351
HONORS SENIOR SEMINAR IN SERVICE LEARNING
This senior seminar, which meets the capstone requirement for the Honors Program, brings students into the community as they develop skills for lifelong learning. Students in this course explore theories of service and the relationship between altruism and activism as they consider the role that service will play in their lives after DePaul. Outside of class, students will devote a minimum of three hours each week to service work at one of the sites offered through the course. This course also meets the university's Experiential Learning requirement for students who have not yet fulfilled this requirement. Open only to students in the University Honors Program.
Prerequisites:
Membership in the University Honors Program is a prerequisite for this class.HON 395
HONORS SENIOR THESIS
Honors students are encouraged to undertake a senior thesis, an independent interdisciplinary research project proposed by the student and carried out under the supervision of a faculty advisor. Students electing to complete a senior thesis must submit an application signed by a faculty director and a two-page project description to the Honors Program Director by the eighth week of the quarter prior to that in which the project will be done. Completion of the thesis project meets the capstone requirement for the Honors Program. Open only to students in the University Honors Program.
Prerequisites:
Membership in the University Honors Program is a prerequisite for this class.CNS 395
INFORMATION SYSTEMS SECURITY ENGINEERING II
This senior project capstone course requires students to apply Information System Security Engineering methods and processes to perform the design and implementation of Information Systems Security infrastructures. The human and sociological impacts of Information Security will be studied with a particular focus on privacy issues, ethical use of Security tools and cultural and legal difference that exist in a globally connected but diverse world. PREREQUISITE(S): CNS 394
IS 376
INFORMATION SYSTEMS PROJECT
This senior project course requires students to apply prior learning in project management and systems development life cycle by developing a complete systems from business case, analysis, design, through implementation strategies. Team project, documentation, presentation, the use of development as well as project management tools will be emphasized. PREREQUISITE(S): CSC212, IS371, IS372, IS373.
IT 300
RESEARCH EXPERIENCE
This course involves the exploration of a research topic under the supervision of a research advisor. PREREQUISITE(S): Consent of dean.
INT 301
SENIOR SEMINAR
Combines formal class work and independent research. Raises philosophical questions about the nature of and prospects for a new international order, and discusses appropriate methodologies for the field. Culminates in a senior research paper.
Prerequisites:
Senior standing and declared International Studies major or minor are prerequisites for this course.LST 390
SENIOR SEMINAR (CROSS-LISTED AS SOC 390 & INT 301)
A capstone course that integrates the students' prior course work and experiences by allowing the student to define a final culminating project. The seminar functions as a coordinated independent study course with extensive participation of Latin American and Latino Studies Program faculty.
MAT 398
SENIOR CAPSTONE SEMINAR
Topics vary from year to year. This course does not count toward the mathematical major or minor credit.
MOL 396
CAPSTONE: LANGUAGE, LITERATURE, AND CULTURE
This course explores the connections among linguistics, literary studies and cultural studies, as well as the relation of these fields to others, such as art, philosophy, history, psychology, law, and religion.
TDC 376
NETWORK PROJECT
Case study in developing a large network project. Students will work in groups to analyze and design a major network system. PREREQUISITE(S): TDC 365.
NSG 380
UNDERGRADUATE SYNTHESIS
This course provides a capstone experience in professional nursing practice. Topics, readings, and course requirements are decided by the students in collaboration with the professor. Students will complete a project demonstrating integration of the liberal arts and sciences with the professional practice of nursing in contemporary society. Ordinarily this will take the form of a senior research project or thesis. A professional resume and final assessments also will be completed. PREREQUISITE(S): NSG 372 and NSG 373
PHL 391
SENIOR CAPSTONE SEMINAR
A capstone seminar on selected topics in philosophy, that integrates the goals of the liberal studies program.
PHY 330
SENIOR CAPSTONE PHYSICAL SCIENCE
Senior Capstone in the Physical Sciences. Topics in the physical sciences and their social, political, environmental and economic impact.
Prerequisites:
Student standing of at least junior level is a prerequisite for this course.PSC 390
CAPSTONE SEMINAR
Senior capstone seminar.
Prerequisites:
Senior standing is a prerequisite for this class.PSY 361
HISTORY AND SYSTEMS OF PSYCHOLOGY
Historical development of psychology and its fields. Cross-listed with PSY 461.
Prerequisites:
(PSY 105 or 106), PSY 240, (PSY 241 or equivalents) and PSY 242 are a prerequisite for this class.PPS 394
GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE
This course is designed to integrate the two concentrations of the Public Policy major to address sustainable management of essential urban infrastructure systems, including stormwater management, energy production and efficiency, and urban forests. The course shall examine how municipal green infrastructure investment reflects larger social values and encourages students to examine the social forces that impact the efficacy of green infrastructure.
PPS 393
CAPSTONE: GENTRIFICATION
This course is designed to bring together much of the knowledge attained by Public Policy students during their four years at DePaul by focusing on the often contentious issues of urban gentrification and re-gentrification. Gentrification involves economic issues, political issues, environmental issues, educational issues, race and ethnicity, and equity issues as well. The course shall examine the variables associated with the process of gentrification, the advantages and disadvantages of that process, the winners and the losers in the process, and the political and economic implications of all of this.
Prerequisites:
PPS 204 and status as a Public Policy Studies major with Senior standing are a prerequisite for this class.REL 390
INTEGRATING SEMINAR
A seminar for Religious Studies majors focusing upon the methods, classic texts and current issues in the study of religion.
Prerequisites:
At least junior standing and permission of the department chair are prerequisites for this course.SOC 395
CAPSTONE IN SOCIOLOGY
A senior seminar course that enables students to conduct original research and integrate theory and methods. PREREQUISITE(S): Senior standing and SOC 331. Seniors are strongly encouraged to enroll in this course.
Prerequisites:
Senior standing and SOC 331 are a prerequisite for this class.SE 392
SOFTWARE ENGINEERING STUDIO II
This course is a continuation of SE 391. SE 391 and SE 392 must be taken as a sequence in consecutive quarters. PREREQUISITE(S): SE 391.
WGS 395
WOMEN'S STUDIES ADVANCED SEMINAR (PREREQ: WGS 391 OR PERMSISSION OF INSTRUCTOR)
The Advanced Seminar emphasizes interdisciplinary methodology and students' independent research. Designed to be an integrating experience, the seminar will focus on discussion, response to research, and blending theory and application. Not recommended for non-majors
Prerequisites:
WGS 391 or instructor permission is a prerequisite for this course.